The determination from the commission comes after a hearing was held in February, where the appeals and the objections to the adopted proposal by Council were upheld following the 2021 Representation Review.

At a Council meeting held on Thursday 4 November, Council adopted a motion that would have seen one Councillor less for both the Rural and Feilding Wards.

It was believed by some Councillors that a reduction in the number of Councillors would help streamline discussions and enhance decision making and to attract greater diversity in candidates standing for the Council. Some predicted a potential reduction in workload as a result of local government reforms currently underway.

In its determination, the commission believed that reducing the number of Councillors would not provide the community with effective representation, particularly to those residents that are based in the rural communities.

“While the proposal to reduce Councillors in the Rural and Feilding Wards was made with the best of intentions, we accept the commission’s determination and the reasons for it,” says Manawatū District Mayor Helen Worboys.

With the reversal of the decision by the commission, this means that for the next two election cycles, Manawatū District Council will revert to the original proposal that followed the consultation with the community in August 2021. This structure is very similar to what Council currently has, with five Rural Ward Councillors and five Feilding Ward Councillors,  now with the addition of the Māori Ward.

The commission has also agreed to the name Ngā Tapuae o Matangi for the Māori Ward. This name was proposed by Te Kōtui Reo Taumata Collective after the representation review had been completed and the hearing allowed for an official name for the ward to be put forward. This was supported by Manawatū District Council during the hearings.